A BRADFORD cricket club has had all its ground keeping machinery stolen in two break-ins, leaving club officials without any means to tend to the pitch ahead of two home matches this weekend.

Great Horton Park Chapel Cricket Club's third team play at Haycliffe Lane in Wibsey, where the garage was broken into at the beginning of last month.

Mowers, strimmers and a scarifier were taken, but, fortunately, one mower was away being serviced at the time.

Concerned about the security of equipment being stored in the garage, club bosses decided to move the last remaining mower to the pavilion instead.

But at the weekend, thieves navigated a steel door to break in to the changing rooms and stole their only means of preparing the wicket.

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Club secretary and 3rd XI player Stephen Tomlinson told the Telegraph & Argus they felt lucky the place had not been burned down, as petrol cannisters had also been stolen along with the mower, which is valued at about £500.

He said: "They smashed a side panel in on the garage when they broke in last month. This time they have prised the steel plating up on the door to the pavilion and bent it, so they can kick the door in behind it.

"They must have known we were keeping the last mower in the clubhouse rather than the garage, so they have obviously been watching us.

"They also took four cans of petrol, so we should think ourselves lucky they didn't burn it down."

The Dales Council League side are set to play a league and cup match at the ground on Saturday and Sunday, so cannot share the first team ground nearby.

Third team captain Nick Speight added: "They first broke into our garage and took all the mowers and other machinery and have now broken into our clubhouse and taken what was left. The steel door was rolled up like a sardine tin.

"We might have to use a domestic mower ahead of this weekend, but it's not going to do the job that the specialist equipment would.

"The umpires usually inspect the pitch before a match to make sure it is fit for play, so we will have to keep our fingers crossed."

He said they wanted to warn others in the area and raise awareness of the thefts. It was Mr Speight who was alerted to the second break in on Monday morning, and he contacted the police.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed officers had received reports of a break-in at the premises between 7.30pm on Saturday and 9am on Monday.

She said an investigation was under way.

The club was formed over the winter with the merger of Wibsey Park Chapel and Great Horton clubs.

The first and second teams play at nearby Ewart Street, which was Great Horton's former ground. The third team continues to play their homes games at Haycliffe Lane, which is part of Grange Technology College's playing fields.

The school maintains the outfield, but the cricket club maintain the square.

For more information on the club log on to ghpc.play-cricket.com.